Countdown
by Galexz
Summary: Ten drabbles in the lives of Katniss Everdeen and Gale Hawthorne. From the start of their friendship to the culmination of their romance. Canon-divergent. AU. Everthorne.


**AN:** This is the result of browsing Tumblr for too long. I blame everyone who ever posted beautiful graphics of Gale and Katniss together. I'm pretty sure I looked at all of them, and then found a prompt for a countdown and this suddenly happened. There goes my Saturday. I regret nothing.

 **Disclaimer:** Suzanne Collins owns the characters and the world.

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Countdown

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 _ **X.** Coins_

"Miss Everdeen, I am so sorry for your loss." Mayor Undersee murmurs as he puts a medal over my head and hands me some money.

When a miner dies in District 12 the families receive a medal and the Widow's Fund. According to the Capitol, ten coins is the worth of one man's life. My father who hunted, who sang, who struggled to stay up to read his children bedtime stories and spend time with his wife was only worth ten coins. I want to throw them in the Mayor's face as he presses them into my hand but I can't. These ten coins are the only money we will have until my mother finds a job and that doesn't seem like it is going to happen soon.

The mayor goes down the line, giving coins to crying widows until he gets to the only other child on stage. I didn't catch his name when it was announced earlier, but I hear his reply to the Mayor's hollow regrets.

"He was worth more than you'd ever know."

 _ **IX.** Lynx_

"I can't believe he's still following us," Gale says, glancing over my shoulder and into the woods behind me. I don't have to look,I know what he sees. That damn lynx has been following us all day - again. It has caused us some kills and we are left with what was in the snare line. Luckily it's spring which means that there is plenty of game available so we still have a decent hull.

It has been nine days since the I fed the lynx. When I first saw the creature it was still scrawny from the winter and was walking with a limp. I know I shouldn't have, but looking at it eye our kills reminded me of myself, not one year ago, sitting behind the baker's house.

Gale hadn't said anything when I threw the cat the squirrel I had been cleaning, but that didn't mean he didn't have anything to say when it started following us around.

"He just wants food," I grumble. I hadn't fed the cat since, but that hadn't stopped it from coming back every day.

"Are you sure it's not you, Catnip?" He drawls, leaning closer to me with that teasing smirk of his. I glower at him. Gale is two years older than me and a whole head taller. I know he is looking down on me: Gale is a better tracker, a better trap maker, and he walks like a ghost in the woods. I knew from the second I saw his snare that I would need him if I wanted to earn enough money to support my family, but that doesn't mean I have to like it or him.

I don't like relying on anyone. They could be taken away from you in a heartbeat leaving you off worse than you started. Relationships like that were crutches and I didn't want them in my life.

"What? Nothing to say?"

I shrug. "I wasn't sure you were talking to me."

He laughs loudly and the lynx runs off. "You're the only one here worth talking to Catnip."

I groan. I hate the nickname, but somehow I know that like Gale, it isn't going anywhere soon.

 _ **VIII.** Dogs_

A howl. This one is closer than the last. My heart is racing and I can't seem to catch my breath. Gale's not in any better shape, but he seems determined not to let it slow him down.

"We've got to keep going." He growls, pushing me forward but even with the rush of adrenaline my body is too exhausted to move. It had been a hard winter and we were both underfed. Apparently so were the wood's predators. We had seen signs of wild dog packs closer to the fence than usual and had taken precautions to stay out of their way but apparently we weren't careful enough.

"I can't." I wheeze, barely able to get the words out as my knees buckle. I hated my weakness at the moment but no matter how much I willed them, my legs wouldn't get up out of the snow. I think of Prim and my mother, hoping that they will make it without me and knowing that they won't. Gale curses and pulled me up by the arm.

"Can you climb?" He asks, eyeing the trees around us. They are covered in snow and missing all their leaves, but most are still large and strong. I nod and Gale immediately pushes me up the nearest. When I'm high enough, he tosses me his gear, our hull from the day, and our bows. He had been carrying it all while I had just been trying to keep up.

He scrambles up clumsily as the first dog breaks through the trees. "Gale!" I cry out as it jumps and almost catches his heel. It misses and slams down hard into a rock with a whimper. The rest of the pack emerges and a few more try to climb the tree, one actually succeeding to make it to the first branch before they finally, thankfully, give up.

They don't leave though and I wonder how long it's been since they've eaten. To chase us as long as they have and to stick around means that they are desperate. The pack is large, eight to be precise, and smart. They settle in to wait us out, growling softly as they watch us.

"I guess we'll be here a while." Gale mumbles. He looks up past the trees and tries to gauge how much daylight we have left. It's probably around noon, which means we only have five hours until sunset. Neither of us are wearing enough clothes to make it through the night and the sweat soaking my shirt is already making me cold.

Gale seems to realize this and settles in on the large branch next to me. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me in close. I tense at first since this is the first real human contact I've had with anyone but Prim since my father died. It feels strange at first but then I start feeling his body heat through my thick wool sweater and relax. He is warm and I find myself turning into him.

"Comfortable Catnip?" He jokes.

I feel like I should reply with something biting, but I don't because I actually am. He smells like wood smoke and mint, and his arms are strong around me. It stirs something in me, something comforting and I think about my father and how he used to hold me when I was younger.

 _ **VII.** Blackberries_

"Keep your eyes closed," Gale says, pulling me along. I do obediently even though I've almost fallen three times already.

"Gale," I grumble. "If I keep them closed any longer then I going to break my ankle."

"We're almost there. Have some patience Catnip." I can hear the laughter in his voice and I almost open my eyes just to spite him.

A few minutes later we finally stop and Gale drops my hand. I can feel the summer sun full on my face and smell the heady scent of wildflowers. "Now can I open them?"

"Not yet." He says, but he's farther away from me. I hadn't even felt him move away. There is a rustling and then I feel him take my hands again. He sits me down on a large rock and turns me so that I am facing whatever he wants to show me. "Alright. Now."

I blink against the brightness of the afternoon but the discomfort falls away as my gaze falls on the sight in front of me: rolling green hills as far as the eye can see. When I turn, I see Gale against the backdrop of a meadow filled with flowers. His smile is as bright as the sun as he stares at my gaping mouth.

"Do you like it?" He asks and I can only nod since I haven't found the words yet.

He settles in on the rock next to me. I have to shift over since the rock is barely big enough for both of us but we still fit even though we are pressed together from shoulder to knee. He pulls out his hand which I hadn't realized was behind his back and presents me with seven perfect blackberries.

"Happy birthday Catnip."

I take the fruit and eagerly toss one into my mouth. It is juicy and explodes with sweetness as I chew on it. We sell most of the berries we find out here, but I can never bring myself to sell these. Blackberries are my secret weakness.

"Where did you find these?" I ask and Gale reaches behind him and plucks another plump berry from the thorny bushes that tangle on the ground next to the rock. He smirks at me with a cheeky grin and I almost shove him into the bushes. Instead, I throw one of the berries at him, intending to wipe the smile off his face but he catches it in his mouth.

"Thanks." He says and I roll my eyes. I can't keep the smile from my face as I watch him pick more berries. He talks as he works, telling me about how he stumbled onto this place when I was stuck at home helping my mother and Prim deal with a flu outbreak. He had been saving it for today and I know I should be mad because we agreed not to do anything for each other's birthdays, but I am too happy and warm to care.

 _ **VI.** Sundays_

"So, what's the plan now?" Gale asks me as we sit on the couch. Our mothers are busy in the kitchen, both happier than I've seen them in a while. They are practically flying around the kitchen and I don't blame them. I feel like I could fly away now that the weight of the Reaping is off my shoulders.

Gale and I both made it through. Him with his 42 slips and me with my 21 somehow escaped the Capitol's grasp.

"Hunt." I shrug. It's my only real option since the last time I went down into the mines I almost had a panic attack. I still have dreams of my father being blown to bits. I don't know how Gale does it.

Now that I don't have school anymore I can hunt all day every day. I'll have to be smart about how I sell the extra meat, but most of the Peacekeepers are clients of mine so I'm sure that as long as I don't flaunt my chosen career there won't be a problem.

Gale nods like he already knew the answer. "So hunting six days a week. I'm jealous."

"Gale," I say patiently. "There are seven days in a week."

"I know Catnip, but you need to take a day off."

I roll my eyes. "Why?"

Gale copies me. "So you can spend it with me."

I'm still confused since we already spend our Sundays together, usually hunting, but I decide it's not worth questioning his strange logic. So many things will change in my life starting tomorrow but I am glad that, at least, that won't.

 _ **V.** Fingers_

I catch myself looking at Gale's hands again, his beautiful capable fingers. They are as scared as mine, testaments to our life in the woods. They are stronger than they used to be just like the rest of him is now that he works in the mines. It's hard not to notice the way hard labor has caused his shoulders to broaden and chest to fill out but my eyes always go back to his hands. Five fingers that move with such precision that I lose myself in the rhythm of them setting the delicate snare.

"It's that simple." He says sitting back on his heels. He looks at me expectantly and I realize I had missed not only his entire explanation on how the snare is supposed to work but also how he set the wire. I feel the heat of a blush rush over my cheeks and I look away.

"Do you need me to show you again?"

"No," I mumble, standing quickly and heading down the game trail to our next snare.

I can sense his confusion as falls in next to me but Gale doesn't pry. I know he wants to ask. I can tell from the way his eyes follow me through the forest and his hands run through his hair that he does. My eyes follow his fingers as they trail through his thick locks and I wonder, just for a moment, what they would feel like in my hair.

"Catnip?" He asks and I realize that I am staring again and this time he's caught me. I can feel his confusion deepen as he watches me and the flush returns to my cheeks. When he opens his mouth to question me I cut him off.

"Can I keep the rabbits? Prim has been asking for some rabbit stew for a couple of days now."

Gale nods, "Sure Catnip."

He stares at me hard for another moment before returning his focus to the forest and I let out a breath. I'm not sure what is happening between us, but I know that I'm not ready.

 _ **IV.** Moonlight_

A gentle rhythmic tap slowly wakes me up. It's still dark and Prim is curled up against me, warm and welcoming. It takes me a minute to figure out where the tapping is coming from but I realize it's from the small window next to the bed. I peer out through the curtains and see Gale waving back at me.

Quickly, I unlatch the glass. "What are you doing here? It's," - I glance back at the clock in my room, squinting in the darkness to make out numbers - "Four AM."

"Yeah, I know." He says. "But get dressed."

"Why?"

He rolls his eyes at me. "Just get out here and you'll see."

It takes me longer than I'd like to get dressed in the darkness but I eventually find both my shoes. I bypass my father's hunting jacket and grab my mother's cardigan from the couch, wrapping it around my shoulders for warmth. Gale is outside, waiting patiently for me by the fence and looking around for anyone that might see us. Even though the Peacekeepers are lax about patrolling the streets, it's still illegal for us to be out past curfew.

There is no one and the streets are empty. Even if it wasn't Sunday, it would still be too early for the miners to be heading to work.

"So, are you going to tell me where we are going?" I ask as I fall in next to him.

Gale shakes his head. "It's a surprise."

On the outside, I frown but on the inside, my heart skips a beat in excitement. Gale has always liked to surprise me. Sometime's it's little things like showing up after he gets off work just to talk and sometimes it's larger things like our rock in the woods. Each one has been welcomed, no matter how much I try to deny it, and lately it seems like they happen more and more often.

When we get to the fence the frown becomes real and worry sets in. "We never go out after dark. It's too dangerous."

"Trust me." He whispers and slides under the fence. He looks at me expectantly and I give in quickly. I do trust him. I trust him more than anyone and sometimes that scares me. It's hard to imagine my life without Gale. He has become a central figure in my life, a focal point through all the hardships we've faced. We struggled for everything but we survived because we were together and there is something beautiful in that.

Even though it's dark, my feet don't stumble over the roots. They know the path to our spot like the back of my hand and I think I could find my way there with my eyes closed. As we break into the meadow that surrounds our rock silver light breaks through the shadows. I stop and stare as the moon, now hugging the treeline, fills the sky. The first flowers of spring shine as are bathed in moonlight and are rock almost gives off a welcoming glow.

Wordlessly I sit down in our spot, still gazing at the overly large moon setting on the horizon. I thought I had seen everything this view had to offer, but somehow it feels like there are a hundred new ones just waiting to be discovered. Gale settles in next to me and I lean my head on his shoulder. It's become such a habit these days - so easy and right that I don't question it anymore.

"Thank you," I whisper because anything louder feels like it would break this spell that the moon has woven.

Gale presses a kiss into my hair. "Anything for you Catnip."

He says it so simply that I know it's true. Gale would do anything, give anything, for me and I know in that instant that the I feel the same way.

 _ **III.** Words_

"I love you."

The words slip past his lips and linger there a few heartbeats before I really register them. My hands pause their work and I put down the herbs I had been sorting for my mother and turn to look at him. Gale is sprawled across my couch and looking at me with dark eyes.

He says the words so cavalierly like he was commenting on the weather instead of confessing his innermost feelings. I, on the other hand, am spiraling. My heartbeat is pounding so hard I think it is trying to fly right out of my chest.

Slowly, his hand comes out to play with my trademark braid. "You know that don't you?"

I think back over all the years, all the touches and smiles, and realize that yes, I do. His confession shouldn't have surprised me. It was there plain as day if I had only wanted to look. And maybe I didn't. My throat closes and I almost can't breathe as I think about my parents and the devastation love wrought on our lives. Just the thought instills a visceral fear inside me and I want to run but my limbs are like heavy lead and stay motionless.

Deft fingers quickly remove my hair tie and undo my braid. They play in the ends at first and then work their way up to my scalp and down to my neck like he is completely unbothered. He cups my head gently and leans forward pressing a soft kiss to my lips.

"I guess you do now," Gale whispers, his breath ghosting over my face.

Then he's gone and I am left to wonder what to do now that I am undone by three little words.

 _ **II.** Kisses_

It's become Gale's habit to come to my house as soon as he's off work. Today I am running late and by the time I've finished my trades at the Hob, the rush of miners has already filled the building flocking towards Ripper's alcohol and Greasy Sae's soup.

Gale is waiting for me on my small porch and he wraps me in a passionate embrace the second he sees me. This is our nightly ritual: Gale comes to my house and steals a few kisses before heading home. I've come to expect them, almost need them, for my day to be complete. The days that I miss Gale seem long and dull and Prim complains about my attitude.

His lips descend onto mine with a soft smile and murmured greeting. It's gentle and welcoming and I prepare for his next move. I've learned that Gale's kisses come in pairs. Sometimes the first kiss is soft and sweet while the second is full of passion. Sometimes he falls on me, devouring me whole and sweeps in for another kiss almost like it's desert. Even when he says goodbye, his lips always return for one more gentle brush.

His tongue brushes over my lips as his head slants to the side and I know that tonight it will be hard to for him to leave. I can feel his want for me as he presses me against the wall of the house and it warms me to my core, sending liquid fire through my veins.

My hands work their way into his hair freeing it from the small bun he wears it in during work. My fingers dig into his scalp drawing out a heady moan from his lips. Gale groans when he finally - finally - pulls away and rests his head on my shoulder. "Is the cabin ready?"

I nod as I gulp in large quantities of air. No matter how much I take in there never seems to be enough because Gale's hands traveling on my waist seem to steal it away. Tomorrow is Saturday and I will meet Gale in the woods instead of my house. I have been preparing the small cabin all week: stockpiling the woods, fixing the windows and door, cleaning out the hearth and setting up a small bed. Just the one. I know what it means and I am ready - more than ready.

A younger me would be scandalized at what I am planning to do. I used to think Gale's hugs, warm and safe, were all I needed and then he kissed me and his kisses set light to a hungry blaze that never seems to be satisfied. A part of me is scared at what he will awaken in me tomorrow night, but I already know there is no going back. I've already lost myself to Gale.

He kisses me again and it is all tongues and lips and teeth.

"Tomorrow." He whispers and presses his lips to mine one last time. It takes an almost physical effort, but he pulls away and disappears around the corner.

"Tomorrow," I whisper, lingering on the porch until the tingling in my lips fades. I slip into my home, ignoring the knowing smile on Prim's lips and dream.

 _ **I.** Union_

The ceremony is bigger than I thought it would be. Somehow I thought that it would just be me and Gale with our small fire and our families. As soon as the word got out that we were having a toasting it spread faster than a wildfire in summer. Looking around the house I suspected that half the Seam had packed into our small living room. Gale's friends from the mines were there along with Rooba, Ripper, Greasy Sae and most of the Hob, and of course - Madge.

I blush, feeling very self-conscious, and straighten my dress again. Unlike most women in the Seam I didn't rent my dress. This was my mother's. It had been made by her grandmother and had been passed down through the generations. The white ribbon and lace are nicer than any dress I have ever worn and I feel out of place in it.

A large hand reaches out to still my fingers and I look down to see Gale, still squatting by the small fire, smiling at me as he toasts a piece of bread.

"You look beautiful Catnip." He says.

I don't usually care about my appearance but the pleased glow in his eyes every time he looks at me makes me glad I agreed to wear the dress. He pulls on my hand gently and I kneel next to him, careful to keep the dress as clean as possible.

The toast is a perfect golden brown as he removes it from the fire and he holds it out for me. "Katniss Everdeen, if you'll have me I will keep you safe and warm. You will want for nothing because I will be everything you need. I will love you until the end of my days and beyond. This I promise you. "

"I will have you, Gale Hawthorne, if you will have me," I reply. "I will keep you safe and warm. You will want for nothing because I will be everything you need. I will love you until the end of my days and beyond. This I promise you. "

"I will have you Catnip." He says and we share the bread. It's not sweet but it's hardy and filled with nuts and different types of grain. It's the kind of bread that fills you up and keep you going, exactly like us.

When his lips brush mine a cheer echoes through the room and we are swept into a sea of congratulations and embraces. They guide us outside and take us down to the Hob where the real celebration begins. Those that couldn't pack into our tiny house have been here making preparations. I am shocked at what I see, the whole central area has been cleared away and lined with food. Bread, stew, roasts, liquor and there is even a cake. Before anyone can say anything Rooba grabs a fiddle and the music begins.

Gale laughs, pulling me along as the area fills with people. "No one can say District 12 doesn't know how to have a party."

No, absolutely no one could deny that.

He picks me up and spins me around, my feet barely touching the ground and I can barely answer because I am laughing too hard. "I just didn't think it would be my wedding!"

"Why not? The Hob is family." Gale says, "And now so are we." His eyes sparkle in the lamplight as he watches me. His eyes and his hands trace my face and I can feel his happiness shining through every action. "I love you, Mrs. Hawthorne."

My heart skips a beat. Mrs. Hawthorne. It still feels weird in my mouth but the warmth of it settles in my mind easily enough. Gale and Katniss Hawthorne - together in a legally binding union. One team, one partnership, one life.

Some part of me always knew that this is where we would end up, and I can't imagine it any other way because Gale is mine and I am his. Anything else is unthinkable.

"I love you too Gale. Always."


End file.
